Street-sign.



PATENTBD SEPT. 19, 1905.

J. TRAVIS.

STREET SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1905.

JWW, 072W Witnmeo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME TRAVIS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR To THE AMERICAN STREET SIGNCOMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

STREET-SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed January 30, 1905. Serial No. 243,249.

by declare the following to be a full, clear, I

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in thatclass of signs em ployed for designating streets, and particularly tothat type illustrated and described in Letters Patent No. 716,098,granted December 16, 1902, to Frederick K. Plumbly, and which involvestheemployment of two sets of sign-plates held in predetermined relationto one another upon the top of a post or other suitable support by meansof a central stem and binding-nut, with intermediate devices forpreserving the established relation between the two sets of sign-plates.

My invention has for its object to provide signs of the characterreferred to which shall be economic in construction and maintenance,readily set up, and capable of varying adjustments to any angles atwhich the streets to be designated may intersect.

My invention also has for its object to provide a construction by whichdifierent designations may be readily substituted one for another at aminimum cost and by which such signs may be quickly and economicallybrightened or made prominent.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the details ofconstruction and arrangement hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that those skilled in. the art may know how to make and erectmy, improved signs and fully appreciate all the advantages of the same,I will proceed to describe my improved sign, referring by numerals tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective Viewshowing two of the signs adjusted with reference to one another andsecured in rigid position upon the top of a suitable supporting-post.Fig. 2 is a vertical section with the upper sign in elevation. Fig. 3 1sa horizontal section taken on the line a 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the saddles and riders and binding bolt or stememployed for securing the sign-plates in fixed position, and Fig. 5 is atop edge view of one of the stencil-plates employed in connection withthe backing or supporting plates.

Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

1 is an ordinary hollow post, upon the top of which is located a saddle2, reduced in diameter on the lower side to fit within the post, asclearly shown in Fig. 2, and formed with a central orifice 3 for thepassage of a securing bolt or stem 4:. The upper surface of this saddleis formed with grooves 5 between raised ribs 6 for the purpose presentlyexplained.

7 7 are two backing-plates riveted together at their ends and sprungapart centrally to permit of the passage of the securing bolt or stem 4,and the longitudinal edges of these plates are turned over, as shown at8, Fig. 2, to form grooves or recesses for the reception ofstencil-plates 9, each of which has one of its ends returned, as shownat 10, Fig. 3, to constitute a stop for properly locating said plates.The stencil-plates 9 are cut or punched with any desired inscription andare painted or otherwise colored to contrast with the backing-plates 7.The lower edges of the backing-plates are located within the grooves 5in the top surface of the saddle 2, and 11 is a hollow rider having itstop and bottom surfaces formed with diametric grooves 12 between ribs orprojections 13. The grooves 12 on the under side of this rider areadapted to receive the upper edges of the lower set of backing-plates 7,and the grooves 12 in the upper surface are adapted to receive and constitute a saddle for the lower edges of the upper set of backing-plates7 and as the grooves 12 are diametric and radial it will be readily seenthat the upper set of backing-plates may be located at variable anglesto the lower set of backing-plates and according to the angle ofintersection of the streets which the signs are used to designate.

1 f is a cap-piece with its ends turned down and adapted to fit over theupper edges of the upper set of backing-plates and is formed with acentral orifice for the passage of the screw-threaded end of the bolt orstem 4. The lower end of the bolt or stem Lis formed with a hook or eye14 through which'is passed a bolt 15, located in the upper end of thehollow post 1, which is held in fixed position by a nut 16. When theseveral parts are arranged as already described, they are fixed and heldin adjusted relation by means of a nut 16 on the threaded upper end ofthe bolt or stem 4 in an obvious manner.

By reason of the peculiar construction of the rider 11, interposedbetween the two sets of backing-plates, the latter may be readilyadjusted at any desired angle to each other and as the backing-platesare formed with overturned edges 8,constituting grooves to receivegrooves for the reception of the stencihplates also serve to strengthensuch backing-pl-a-tes,.

and hence sheet metal of a thinner gage and of less cost may be usedthan would be otherwise necessary.

Ian] aware that the generic idea of a stencil-plate located upon acontrasting backing to produce a sign is not new, and l'therefore go notclaim any such construction broadly;

7 What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sign comprising two backing plates or holders secured back to backand having their longitudinal edges folded outwardly toconstituteparallel grooves for the receptionof stencil-plates, and twostencil-plates located one within each of the parallel grooves of thebacking'plates or holders, said backing plates 'or holders and thestencil-plates being of contrasting colors, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth. I

2. Asign comprising two backing plates or holders secured back to backand having their longitudinal edges folded outwardly to constituteparallel grooves; two stencil-plates located one within each of parallelgrooves of the backing plate or holder and each of said stencil-plateshaving one of its ends returned to overlap the adjacent end of theotherstenci-l-pla-te to limit the longitudinal movement of said plates and toalso constitute a handgrip by means of which said plates may bemanipulated as hereinbefore set forth.

3. In astreet-sign such as-described, in combination with asupporting-post and a stem secured at its lower end to said post andthreaded "at its upper end; two spaced signplates; a saddle mounted uponthe post and grooved upon its upper surface to receive the edges of the.lower sign-plate; a rider having its lower surface grooved and mountedupon the upper edges of the lower sign-plate and havingits upper surfaceformed with diametric radial grooves to receive the lower edges of theupper sign-plate; a-cap-piece located upon the upper edges-of the uppersign-plate, and a nut secured upon the threaded upper end of the stem,whereby all the parts are secured together in predetermined relation,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed mv name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEROME TRAVIS.

Witnesses:

MARY I. SHAY, C. OWEN.

